Credit cards are more than just square pieces of plastic with codes encrypted with numbers, letters, and bar scans. They’re a gateway into improving credit scores, aiding in emergency situations, and can even provide children with a set allowance. However, the benefits of credit cards can only be achieved with a secure sense of responsibility.

  As explained by Lauralynn Mangis in her article “Should your teenager have a credit card,” published on the the Advantage Blog, credit cards have numerous benefits. The first thing Mangis lists in her blog is that credit cards will provide teens with a better understanding of interest–they’ll be able to interact hands-on with managing payments, late fees, and overdrafts. Credit cards also provide an easy leeway to a great track record with lenders. This track record will carry on in the form of a credit score, which can impact very serious aspects to life, such as renting an apartment, getting a job, and getting a loan.

  Some may argue that teenagers are too irresponsible to keep track of their credit account, but in reality, teenagers can sometimes be more responsible than adults. It is the parents’ job to raise a child who is aware of interest rates, loaning processes, credit scores, and money management.

  In the end, credit cards can provide a valuable positive impact on the lives of teenagers entering the early years of adulthood. So long as the teen is confident in their abilities to manage an account and to make payments on time, a credit card is the perfect beneficiary to increase credit scores and to set a simple allowance every month.